Boycott callfor EU-Africa summit rejected

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has defended a Government decision to attend this week's EU-Africa conference in Lisbon at which President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe will be present, and has rejected a Fine Gael call for the Government to boycott the summit.

Labour, Sinn Féin and all Independents supported the Government parties and rejected by 92 votes to 39 Fine Gael's declaration that it was "inappropriate" for the Taoiseach or any Cabinet member to attend the conference should Mr Mugabe be present.

Mr Ahern said it was far better to attend rather than walk away and "shout from a distance", and the "summit should be about the substance of the EU-Africa relationship rather than about who is attending". He said "Ireland has repeatedly made clear its opposition to the attendance of Mugabe" but the Government felt from a national and EU point of view that "attendance is a far better option than staying away", which would be a pyrrhic victory.

During a debate which aimed to pass an all-party motion welcoming the summit and its intention to ensure the grave situation in Zimbabwe was properly addressed, Mr Ahern unsuccessfully appealed to Fine Gael not to press its amendment.

Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesman Billy Timmins said that "Mr Mugabe is a master at manipulating the international audience. This autumn he was greeted with loud applause by delegates as he arrived at a meeting of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community. The impact of his attendance at the forthcoming summit in Lisbon will only be gauged in the years ahead. History to date tells me that it will strengthen his position, not weaken it."

John Deasy (FG, Waterford) said the Minister had previously taken the Fine Gael view that Mr Mugabe's attendance should be opposed, given his systematic abuse of human rights, but Mr Ahern was now taking a "hell of a different position".

The Minister said, however, that "Ireland regrets that President Robert Mugabe has been invited to the EU-African conference" but it became clear that no alternative was possible. "However, along with almost all EU member states, we do not wish the EU's relations with an entire continent to be held hostage to one country's problems. The fact is that 23 of the 27 member states will be represented in Lisbon." The UK, Slovakia, Slovenia and Poland will not be represented.

"We do not believe that the correct response to the tragedy of Zimbabwe - or to other even more tragic situations on the continent - is to preach from a distance."

Barry Andrews (FF, Dún Laoghaire) said the Government should consider divestment. He said that "Barclays bank is providing a lifeline to the regime - investing $50 million in 2005 and lending very large amounts of money on a concessionary basis to the government."

If changes were not effective, "we have to consider whether Irish pension funds are invested in Barclays bank and whether that is supporting the regime".

Michael D Higgins, Labour spokesman, rejected the Fine Gael call for a boycott and said that if Ireland boycotted the event it would make Mr Mugabe the centre of the conference. "There are issues of aid and trade and odious debt. The idea, frankly, that Robert Mugabe would be able to dislodge that discussion would be a great pity."